Hi i'm self teaching Further Maths and need to decide the last 2 modules to sit. I have an offer for Business Maths and Stats, but I may switch to Acturial Sci or Maths and Econs.

Will the knowledge I get from FP3 and S3 be useful in the first year of any of these courses? I know that FP3 should be more suitable than doing other modules since calculus will be done. But what about S3? If not I could just do an 'easier' module like D1.

In my time, Edexcel FP3 contained maclaurin + taylor series (a very recurring theme in Mathematical Methods), approximations, vectors, matrices and some other stuff. This is all very helpful in the first 5 or 6 weeks and people who haven't studied it tend to struggle I think.

S3 I don't know much about but I managed to breeze through most of the first term on S2 knowledge. If there is an FP4 on your board, go for it over S3.

(Original post by autohmail)
Definitely go for S3 then as those topics are definitely covered but what exam board do you do? I did AQA and FP4, which it was all about vectors and matrices, and that helped me a lot for MA100.

I do Edexcel and after FP3 I will have done all the pure modules. Do you remember which course starts with the S3 stuff?

(Original post by Swayum)
In my time, Edexcel FP3 contained maclaurin + taylor series (a very recurring theme in Mathematical Methods), approximations, vectors, matrices and some other stuff. This is all very helpful in the first 5 or 6 weeks and people who haven't studied it tend to struggle I think.

S3 I don't know much about but I managed to breeze through most of the first term on S2 knowledge. If there is an FP4 on your board, go for it over S3.

Thanks Swayum. That is more or less the same, with FP2 have the taylor/mclaurin now, and FP3 having more on matrices, hyperbolic functions, calculus, vectors etc.

Btw how is the BMS course at LSE mathematically? I know you have to do some economics and stuff, so are these courses examined as essay style questions in the exams or more calculations and applied maths way?

(Original post by Haloalkane)
Btw how is the BMS course at LSE mathematically? I know you have to do some economics and stuff, so are these courses examined as essay style questions in the exams or more calculations and applied maths way?

First economics isn't very mathematical. As in, you don't need to be doing much other than solving, say, P = 2Q + 5 and P = -5Q + 10 and this isn't exactly a frequent kind of question either. No calculus is required (in theory). The exam consists of two multiple choice sections and one short answers (short as in less than a page, more like half a page, including diagrams). Having a strong mathematical background is no real advantage.

Second year economics - you have a choice between a very mathematical module and a not so mathematical module. Dunno too much about it.

Third year - I assume is very, very mathematical.

The maths courses, in the first year, aren't usually applications of economics type questions. They do occasionally throw in a "here's a cost function: minimize it" but it makes no difference whether they call it a cost function or f(x) because your method is exactly the same.

Statistics, in the first year, is introductory and not very abstract (i.e. you don't study probability theory properly in terms of sets) like you might expect.

(Original post by Swayum)
The maths courses, in the first year, aren't usually applications of economics type questions. They do occasionally throw in a "here's a cost function: minimize it" but it makes no difference whether they call it a cost function or f(x) because your method is exactly the same.

Statistics, in the first year, is introductory and not very abstract (i.e. you don't study probability theory properly in terms of sets) like you might expect.

Thanks for your help. Did you find the style of the economics exam/revision difficult to adjust to, since you had come from a strong mathematical background? (as in I assume you prefer solving equations)

Also, what are your plans after the BSc? Do you know if the degree will have enough mathematical preperation to do say, the finance/stats options in something like Part III at Cambridge?

(Original post by Haloalkane)
Thanks for your help. Did you find the style of the economics exam/revision difficult to adjust to, since you had come from a strong mathematical background? (as in I assume you prefer solving equations)

Also, what are your plans after the BSc? Do you know if the degree will have enough mathematical preperation to do say, the finance/stats options in something like Part III at Cambridge?

I did A-level economics so not really. I don't think the style is very difficult to get used to - what's difficult is thinking like an economist.

My plan after my undergrad is to most likely do a job and then perhaps an MBA some years later.

I don't get the feeling that the LSE courses would be sufficient preparation for Part III modules at Cambridge. I mean, yes, the finance courses at Cambridge do allow you to take some Part III courses, and yes you could probably convince them to let you, but I get the feeling you'd struggle to do well. Look here for graduate destinations (maths and stats courses are basically identical):

(Original post by Swayum)
I did A-level economics so not really. I don't think the style is very difficult to get used to - what's difficult is thinking like an economist.

My plan after my undergrad is to most likely do a job and then perhaps an MBA some years later.

I don't get the feeling that the LSE courses would be sufficient preparation for Part III modules at Cambridge. I mean, yes, the finance courses at Cambridge do allow you to take some Part III courses, and yes you could probably convince them to let you, but I get the feeling you'd struggle to do well. Look here for graduate destinations (maths and stats courses are basically identical):

Why are you interested in doing a masters? Do you feel that it'll prepare you better for whatever job you want to go into? If so, that's a bad move.

Oh cool thanks. Yes I do wish to do a career amongst those.

Um not really, I just want a master's for self satisfaction and its respect. However, it doesnt have to be something as mathematical as the Part III, so just looking around for now. I'll start another thread perhaps and just see what kind of students do pursue the finance options in that.

I am not completely sure what to do yet after graduating, but it will most probably either:

1. going into investment banking - i've heard being a quant requires a masters/PhD in mathematical finance, so i was checking for that (however, i do know that LSE makes the most investment bankers, some there must be LSE grads becoming quants as well)

2. maybe looking into actuarial work - if so, then yes a masters is no point

3. doing my own business maybe, and if so, getting an MBA perhaps for networking etc.

hmm I did OCR mei and their FP2 contains all of what e.g. AQA's fp3 and 4 contain and edexels fp3 - doing the topics in my fp2 is a must...maclaurin/taylor series, matrices dealing with eigen vectors/values, polar co-ordinates, very high level of complex number work and everything on hyperbolics (manipulation, differentiation,integration etc) - you do not really need any more than this in terms of pure maths, you sure you need to take fp3? the ocr mei fp3 contains stuff that most people will only meet at uni - its is the most advanced further mathematics course, no other board has the stuff the MEI fp3 has. If you want to do it - i suggest you do it as an extra module because you do not want your offer hinging on what grade your fp3 will be...
As for statistics 3 - i recommend you take it - regardless of whether it will be useful in the first year or not - it will be useful in 2nd/3rd years.

I tried to self-teach s4 in 1 month - utterly failed (and did d2 instead (lol)) because it has so much content and the way its written in the book is not helpful for self-teaching, other than that it was MEI, if you do decide to take extra modules it might be worth requesting a copy of S4 - this will come in handy when you really get into higher level stats.

(Original post by Haloalkane)
1. going into investment banking - i've heard being a quant requires a masters/PhD in mathematical finance, so i was checking for that (however, i do know that LSE makes the most investment bankers, some there must be LSE grads becoming quants as well)

Most IB jobs aren't very theoretical. Virtually every IBanker I've met (and it's grown into quite a large number now) and asked about how much their degree helps their job has told me that the first thing they were told when they started working was to forget everything you learnt at university.

How did u do in your first year exams?

I'm a first year student, but fairly confident about the maths and stats papers. Not very confident on the economics (but only your best 3 papers count towards your degree (although you still need a pass in the fourth)).

(Original post by Swayum)
Most IB jobs aren't very theoretical. Virtually every IBanker I've met (and it's grown into quite a large number now) and asked about how much their degree helps their job has told me that the first thing they were told when they started working was to forget everything you learnt at university.

Oh right, yeah that's what I would assume too, but in the IB forum I read that quants sometimes even require a PhD.

(Original post by Swayum)
I'm a first year student, but fairly confident about the maths and stats papers. Not very confident on the economics (but only your best 3 papers count towards your degree (although you still need a pass in the fourth)).

Oh cool, are there any sample papers that I can look at up on the website to see what the work is like? If not, i'll probably just start a thread sometime asking someone to put up some, if it is allowed.

(Original post by Haloalkane)
Oh right, yeah that's what I would assume too, but in the IB forum I read that quants sometimes even require a PhD.

Yup, that's more or less true. I don't think you can truly know at your stage that you want to be a quant though.

Oh cool, are there any sample papers that I can look at up on the website to see what the work is like? If not, i'll probably just start a thread sometime asking someone to put up some, if it is allowed.

Attached you'll find the two maths papers and one stats paper you do in the first year (2006 versions).